Tottenham Responds to New Referee Verdict on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Controversial Tackle on James Maddison
Tottenham faced a defeat against Liverpool in the Premier League, with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s early tackle on James Maddison sparking a penalty debate between former referee Mike Dean and pundit Gary Neville.
Mike Dean, reviewing the incident, saw no foul in Alexander-Arnold’s challenge on Maddison inside the penalty area, where the Liverpool full-back appeared to nudge Maddison off the ball, leading to Tottenham fans calling for a penalty.
The match, held just before Christmas, saw Liverpool take an early lead through Luis Diaz, who scored from a precise cross by Alexander-Arnold. However, 10 minutes before the goal, Tottenham supporters were upset when Alexander-Arnold challenged Maddison near the byline, using his right arm to push the midfielder to the ground. The home crowd vocally appealed for a penalty.
Gary Neville, commentating for Sky Sports, noted: “Trent Alexander-Arnold took a bit of a risk with that challenge. It was a bit clumsy, no need to use his right arm like that.”
Dean disagreed, commenting, “There wasn’t enough contact. I think Maddison felt the touch on his back but went down a bit too easily.”
Referee Sam Barrott, in charge of the match, seemed to agree with Dean, urging Maddison to get up and dismissing the penalty appeal.
By halftime, Liverpool had extended their lead with a goal from Alexis Mac Allister, though Maddison pulled one back for Tottenham, making it 2-1. Liverpool later restored their two-goal advantage with a strike from Dominik Szoboszlai, and the match ended 6-3 in favor of Liverpool.
The Premier League did not issue a statement regarding the Alexander-Arnold incident, as is typically done on their match center.
